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Mets Must Explore Bullpen Options Outside Frank Francisco

As I said yesterday, a team is only as strong as its bullpen. The Mets have exceeded most expectations save one: The bullpen remains a concern. It is the Mets’ weakest link.

Frank Francisco blew his second save in three games, meaning in a perfect world they would have swept the Marlins this weekend and gone 6-0 on their road trip.. However, baseball, as we know, is an imperfect sport and the Mets certainly are an imperfect team.

In the long term Francisco will remain the closer simply because of that ridiculous two-year, $12-million contract. If a player’s own team has no interest in him, then why do the Mets give multi-year deals? Wasn’t anything learned from the Omar Minaya era?

Manager Terry Collins needs to address this sooner than later, because nothing can kill the good vibrations the Mets have emitted this spring than a leaky bullpen. Jon Rauch? Tim Brydak? Back to Bobby Parnell? Perhaps a committee?

Collins knows his personnel better than anybody, but clearly everybody can tell right now Francisco is not the answer.

“He’s the boss,” Francisco told reporters. “He can do whatever he wants. I’m here to help the team; I guess I’m not doing that. Whatever decision he makes, it’s fine with me. But I’m here to fight. Whenever I can, I’m going to try to do my best out there every time I go out.”

So far, Francisco’s best is an 8.56 ERA, with 20 hits and seven walks in 13 2/3 innings. Those numbers are positively Oliver Perez-like.

As you say he has a decent sized contract. He is terrible as a closer. Our pen is below avg. We have a few power arms, but nothing too reliable. We have nothing in the minors that can help now.

This is Sandy. Perhaps his hands were tied. I don’t see them bringing in someone new. Not for this team. It will leak into the rest of the team as they have played well only to go on life support late in the game.

I think the best bet is go with the hot hand and do a round robin. Better than nothing I guess, but this guy doesn’t even try to hold runners to the base.